Dan and Dave both pursued successful careers after their athletic endeavors. Dan O’Brien became a motivational speaker and coach, while Dave Johnson worked in education and also as a motivational speaker.
Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson were two of the best-known decathletes in the world during the early 1990s, particularly in the lead-up to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. They were part of a major advertising campaign by Reebok named “Dan & Dave,” which was designed to build hype around the question of which of the two would win the Olympic gold medal. However, the campaign took an unexpected turn when Dan O’Brien failed to qualify for the Olympics after he no-heighted in the pole vault during the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Despite this setback, Dan O’Brien went on to win the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He set a world record in the decathlon at the 1992 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo and won the event again in 1993 and 1995, solidifying his status as one of the greatest decathletes of all time.
Dave Johnson, on the other hand, won the bronze medal in the decathlon at the 1992 Olympics, despite competing with a stress fracture in his foot. After his athletic career, he transitioned into a career in education and worked as a school administrator and teacher. He also continued to be involved in athletics as a coach and remained a motivational speaker, sharing his experiences and the life lessons he learned from his time in competitive sports.
Both athletes have left a lasting legacy in the world of track and field and have used their experiences to inspire others through their post-athletic careers.
